Zakat Or Alms-Giving

ItemLookupCode: BK2319

Title: Zakat Or Alms-Giving

Sub Title: The Third Pillar Of Islam

Full Description: Zakat is to give 2.1/2 of ones yearly saving, wealth and asset to the poor as a religious duty, it is one of the Pillars of Islam. The institution of Zakat is sanctioned by God. There are several verses of the Qur'an which indicate that God rewards everybody who gives Zakaat.
     Islam stand for brotherhood of men and social justice. Islam teaches that wealth is a trust from God and should be spent as Allah wants it. With regards to the poor, Islam says the poor have rights in the wealth of the rich and that all good causes have a claim on our wealth. Islam, therefore, commands every well-off person to pay welfare money to the needy and for good causes as this will make all persons in the society better-off and happy.
      Zakaat or Welfare money for the poor is the third Pillar of Islam, it is not only cherished by God but also sanctioned by Him. Zakaat is so important because it is said to be a great sin not to share one's wealth with the needy, thereby allowing them to suffer from hunger and diseases.
      Just as the performance of the Salaat is both an individual and a communal obligation, so does payment of the Zakaat instil a sense of communal identity and responsibility. As all Muslims share equally in their obligation to worship God, so are they all duty-bound to attend to the social welfare of their community by redressing economic inequalities through payment of an Alms tax or poor tithe. It is an act both of worship or thanksgiving to God and of service to the community.
       All Muslims who are able to do so are obliged to pay a wealth tax annually. It is a tithe or percentage (usually 2.1/2 percent) of their accumulated wealth and assets, not just their income. This is not regarded as charity, since  it is not really voluntary but instead is owed by those who have received their wealth as a trust from God's bounty to the poor.
   
          The Qur'an 9:60, stipulates that these alms are to be used to support the poor, orphans and widows, to free slaves and debtors, and to assist in the spread of Islam and for many other things or purposes that are necessary for the promotion and propagation of Islam like establishing Educational Institutions, Mosque, subscribing or assisting in publishing houses for Islamic books, Radio and Television houses which devote reasonable part of their services to Islam. Although initially collected and then redistributed by the Islamic government, payment of the Zakaat later was left to the individual or Islamic organisation for collection for lack of an Islmic state.

         In recent years, a number of governments particularly Pakistan, the Sudan, Libya have asserted the government's right to a Zakaat tax. In Nigeria because of secular nature of our constitution, I suggest that the Muslim organisations should collect the Zakaat and use it for the poor and other purposes as stipulated by the Qur'an and for the advancement of their organisation.

Publishers Note:

Publisher: Adam Publishers & Distributors

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Publication Year:

Edition: 2008

Size:

Pages: 74

Printing: One Color

Binding: Paperback

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Author: A.D. Ajijola

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Net Weight (LB): 0.26

Shipping Weight (LB): 1

Package Height (Inches): 1.25

Package Width (Inches): 6.5

Package Length (Inches): 9.5

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Country of Printing: India

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